


to be bad or not to be bad? (it's just how it is)

by SanSese



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Friends, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mercutio is the bestest friend ever, Sort Of, Tybalt likes ducks, he's also emo, they're so bad at communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-03-16 07:51:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanSese/pseuds/SanSese
Summary: Growing up in the Montague household has made Benvolio believe in one thing. Capulets are not to be trusted. Benvolio has kept this mentality for most of his life, the quarrels between the two families enough proof to solidify it. Until one Capulet waltz into town, threatening his lifelong belief that Capulets are no good.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoveIsTheKeyword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveIsTheKeyword/gifts).



> For Aurore :3

"Romeo, why are you screaming?" Benvolio was relaxing in his bedroom when Romeo barged in, eyes wild as he made several distressing sounds.

"There's a new Capulet in town!" His little cousin jumped on the bed, dumping the stack of books Benvolio had carefully balanced on the ground. Sighing, Benvolio grabbed them and moved them to the shelves. His "What?" was more exasperated than questioning.

"Didn't you listen at dinner? Dad said a relative of the Capulets enrolled at college. Advanced Economics or something. Dad thinks he'll work with the Capulets after graduating." The younger boy leaned in, as if he was telling a secret. Benvolio shrugged.

"Yeah, so?" Romeo hissed.

"It means more threat to our business Benny!" Benvolio shook his head. 14 years old and already talking like his dad.

"Dad's business Romeo." Two weeks and he would be going to college, leaving all this crazy talk about business and fighting enemies behind. Romeo was not ready to drop the subject though.

"You didn't forget what they did to us, did you?" He was frowning, not understanding why Benvolio wasn't as hyped as he was.

"No, I didn't. And stop saying us, you weren't even born when it happened." Hell, he himself had been five at that time! Stupid family feud. Spreading it's toxic tentacles over the whole city. Dividing the citizens in two groups. Romeo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. This new guy is trouble, and not welcome in our city." He stalked out of the room. Benvolio watched him go, concerned. 

"...You scare me sometimes."

*

Benvolio was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, digging around in his pasta when he saw him for the first time. The infamous Capulet was making his way through the packed room, head high and a murderous look in his eyes. Benvolio recognized him instantly, thanks to the pictures Romeo had shown him before he left for college, making him promise to never lose sight of the enemy.

Tybalt Capulet had apparently chosen to go for the rice, slamming his plate on the table a few feet away from Benvolio's. Students were whispering to each other, avoiding this particular table. Benvolio's classmates were looking at him, eyebrows raised. Benvolio shrugged. As far as he was concerned, this whole feud had nothing to do with him. As long as Tybalt kept his hands to himself, Benvolio would do the same.  
He noted that the Capulet was sitting alone, not one student brave or stupid enough to start something. Did he have a particular past that everyone knew about but Benvolio? Granted, this college was run partly by his step-dad's business, so they weren't many Capulet friendly people running around. Still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Tybalt. Romeo would be so shocked if he knew. Good.

*

"How's my Benny bunny doing?" A grinning Mercutio appeared on his laptop's screen, image a little bit blurry. Benvolio snorted at the pet name.

"Good evening to you too Merc." Mercutio made a clucking sound with his tongue, pointing at the sun shining through the window behind it.

"More like morning, stupid! So, tell me about your first week! Any hot people on campus? What about your roommate?" Of course, Benvolio had forgotten about the 8 hours difference between them. They were texting a lot throughout the day, making it seem like his best friend was just in another state and not on the other side of the world. He grinned. 

"Believe it or not, I'm still waiting for a roommate. I don't know if I'm the luckiest or loneliest guy on campus...Wait, no, there's still more lonely than me. There's a Capulet here, Merc!" How in the world he had been the only student not sharing a room was beyond him, but he didn't mind. They told him someone would surely come, but until then, he had the whole room for himself. His best friend's eyes went wide.

"Ow shit...Did he bother you? " Benvolio was touched by Mercutio's concern.

"He just, exists, I guess. I don't even know if he knows who I am. We don't go to the same classes. Romeo thinks it's all an act for an evil scheme the whole family is pulling. I think he sees conspiracies everywhere. I know he's a Capulet, but to make this guy my enemy when I've never talked to him is a bit too much. " All he really could say about Tybalt was that he was brooding the few times he saw him walking past, gaze hard and steady. Mercutio whistled.

"Man, this shit between your two families will never stop! I mean, that big crash that ruined Papa Montague and Mama Capulet was what, 15 years ago? Blaming one another for 15 years, I can't imagine holding a grudge for so long. It's a shame Romeo seems so involved in this." Benvolio nodded. 

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm glad I'm out of the house you know. I love my little cousin to death, but he can be so...I don't even know." Maybe leaving Romeo alone with his dad hadn't been his best idea. He bit his lip, suddenly worried about how much Romeo had changed through the years. Mercutio brought him back to earth.

"What do you know about mystery guy? Is he hot?" Benvolio almost choked.

"Jesus Merc! I'm telling you about maybe not hating him on principle and you want me to jump on him?" Mercutio shot him knowing look.

"Well?"

Benvolio groaned.

"Yeah..."

*

It was three weeks later that Benvolio had his first conversation with Tybalt. Running in the park with his ear buds in, he spotted the Capulet sitting on a bench in front of the lake. Benvolio decreased his speed, trying to be subtle about his observation. Tybalt had a book in his hands, probably a notebook, and was writing something down every now and then.

Benvolio almost collided with a tree as he was not looking where he went, and slipped on the gravel. Before he knew it his head had acquainted with the ground, his ear buds ripped out of his ears. Groaning in pain, he sat on his butt, rubbing his sore knees. Luckily, the fabric of his workout pants wasn't torn. 

"You okay?" The soft voice startled him. Benvolio looked up, gazing directly in the dark eyes of Tybalt. The Capulet reached a hand out, waiting. Was this a test or something? Was he supposed to refuse his help? Benvolio could almost feel Romeo's breath on his neck, cold eyes telling him not to trust a Capulet. Benvolio blinked, shoving Romeo and his hatred far away in his mind. He took Tybalt's hand. The surprisingly warm hand trembled, before strong fingers pulled him up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tybalt nodded, a small smile on his lips. Benvolio swallowed. Is it now where all goes to shit?

"I'm Benvolio, by the way." 

"Oh, I know." Tybalt smirked. "I know everything about you and your family."

*

Thanksgiving at the Montague household was always an exhausting feat, and this time was no exception. All his distant relatives had been invited, resulting in a heavy cacophony around the house. Feeling a headache coming soon, Benvolio excused himself to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, already tired and they weren't even finished with the turkey! At least, they had managed to not breach the topic on the Capulets yet, which was nice. In all honesty, Benvolio couldn't care less. His personal confrontation with a Capulet had been pleasant enough, surprisingly.

"Oh, I know." Tybalt smirked. "I know everything about you and your family." He patted Benvolio on the shoulder. "And you know everything about me too, right?" He shook his head, laughing. The sound was rich, and Benvolio relaxed, wanting to laugh with Tybalt too. 

"I guess, yeah." Tybalt nodded once more, hand back by his side. 

"It's just how it is. See you around." He left, notebook under his arm. Benvolio started his run again, confused. What a strange encounter. Apparently he had been briefed too about his supposed enemy. And yet, he didn't do anything one might expect from a Capulet. Benvolio shook his head, focusing on his run. 

He went back to the dining room, feeling slightly better. 

"Benny, son, we were just talking about the Capulets. You've seen Tybalt right?" His step-dad looked at him expectantly, eyebrows raised. Here they go again. 

"Euhm, yeah. Actually, we talked. It was really- 

"Son! No contacts with those rats, you know that!" The whole table seemed to agree, shooting angry looks at Benvolio. Romeo just looked hurt. Benvolio sat back down, letting his family go on a rant about someone they didn't even know.

*

Benvolio was walking towards the lake when he spotted him again. This time, Tybalt was kneeling in the grass, a paper bag in his hands, as he dealt scraps of bread to the ducks gathered around him. The scene was eerily intimate, and Benvolio hesitated going back. But going back meant dealing with papers and deadlines, so his decision was rapidly made. Benvolio plopped down next to Tybalt, shoes scraping across the ground. The ducks flurried away, before realizing the young man was not a threat. The bravest of the lot ventured again towards the open palm of Tybalt, quaking in delight as the Capulet gave it the piece of bread. The silence that stretched around them now was strangely comfortable, the two young men observing the ducks dabbing playfully on the lake. After a while, Benvolio spoke up.

"You know, everyone keeps telling me you're the bad guy." Tybalt lifted his head towards Benvolio, a flash of hurt in his eyes so rapidly gone that Benvolio thought he imagined it. 

"Funny, everyone tells me the same about you." Tybalt was smirking now, eyebrows raised. Benvolio chuckled. 

"Yeah, I figured." He shook his head. "I don't think it's true, you know." Tybalt frowned.

"What do you mean? It's just how it is. You're bad, I'm bad, everyone's bad. This whole shithole is bad. That's all there is to it." His voice was low, with no passion in it. It seemed like he repeated these exact words to himself every day. Benvolio bit his lip.

"So you think you're bad?" He took time to observe Tybalt, as the young man thought about his reply. His long curls framed his closed face, dark eyes burning holes in the grass.

"I must be, if half of this town thinks so." He raised his gaze, challenging Benvolio to come up with a rebuttal. Benvolio felt a sudden vague of sadness hit him.

"Do you think I'm bad?" He knew the answer, he had already heard it just seconds ago, but he wanted to hear it again. This time the reply came faster.

"Not as bad as me." Tybalt refused to look at Benvolio, his hands clasping at each other. Benvolio didn't know what to make of that. 

"And how do you measure how bad someone is?" He was really curious to know. Tybalt just shrugged in annoyance.

"I don't know. It just is." He threw his arms up in the air, huffing. "Stop with the questions and just leave me alone, yeah?" 

Benvolio nodded, getting back up. He checked his pants for any grass stains, relieved to find none. As he began to walk away, he turned towards the lake. Tybalt was scrunching the paper bag in his hands, shoulders down. 

"I don't think you're a bad guy at all." Benvolio muttered, loud enough to be heard by the other young man. Tybalt didn't respond, but sat straighter, his head high. Benvolio smiled.

*

Steam rose up from his coffee, warming Benvolio's face as he wrapped his hands around the cup. The coffee shop was bustling with people trying to escape the cold on this fine December morning. Nose deep in his mug, Benvolio almost missed the faint greeting from Tybalt.

"Hey." The Capulet sat next to Benvolio, carefully placing his full cup of coffee on the table. Benvolio swallowed the hot liquid, surprised to see the blond man in here. He hadn't catalogued Tybalt as a coffee drinker. But then again, the Capulet had been anything but how Benvolio had imagined him.

"Hey." Tybalt nodded at the empty chair on the other side of Benvolio. He cleared his throat.

"You waiting for someone?" His voice was rough, maybe he caught a cold? Benvolio shook his head.

"Not really, thought it was cold and wanted to have a warm drink you know." He had made friends on campus, but he didn't feel like hanging out with them outside class. He missed having Mercutio here, but his best friend was having the time of his life in another country. Tybalt sighed. Relieved?

"Yeah. Same." He looked around the shop, fidgeting on his stool. After an awkward silence, he talked again.

"You know, last time at the lake...I don't think you're a bad guy either." He averted his eyes. Benvolio felt a blush creeping on his cheeks. It wasn't a compliment, but coming from Tybalt it felt like an early Christmas present. He chuckled.

"That means were good guys, then?"

Tybalt blinked, looking at Benvolio's face like he was searching for something. He smiled tiredly.

"No." He took his coffee from the table and walked out the shop, leaving a confused Benvolio behind. It seemed to be a recurring thing with the Capulet.

*

Mercutio munched on a cereal bar, listening to Benvolio recounting his latest conversation with Tybalt. His best friend's hands were all over the place, making it hard to follow on the screen. Mercutio smiled inwardly at Benvolio's joyous tone. His little bunny was onto something! He gulped down the last piece of cereal with a sip of milk and confronted his friend.

"So, you like him?" Benvolio blushed immediately, eyes wide. His first instinct was to deny, but he knew better than to lie to Mercutio. He shrugged.

"We seem to bump into each other lately, and I'm really looking forward to these chance encounters. It's like I can't escape him, and I don't want to, you know. He's not what my family thinks of him, what the whole school thinks of him."

They had seen each other again at the lake, a complete coincidence if you asked Benvolio, although he knew that Tybalt was there most of the time he wasn't on campus. They had talked about little things, Tybalt's voice getting louder and more confident, and had a good time in general. Benvolio had asked about his family, but Tybalt didn't want to talk about them. Said he was tired of hearing the same bullshit he had heard all his life. Benvolio could relate, and had been glad when Tybalt offered him some bread to give to the ducks.

Mercutio grinned. 

"Yo, fuck them! If he treats you right, you have my blessing!" Benvolio sighed. If only it was so simple.

"Merc, were not even friends. We just talk, sometimes. It's nice." Benvolio didn't know if something more could come from this. They were good just being whatever they were now.

"Well, let me know when you become friends for real then?" Mercutio looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes. 

"Yeah, if that ever happens." Benvolio ignored the knowing smirk of his best friend.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Communication is important kids!
> 
> Romeo is still a child at heart, but I wanted to show how much a toxic environment could play into a child's life, and how it affected Benvolio and Romeo. Benvolio had Mercutio by his side, and being the smart boy that he is, managed to not let hate guide his path. I think if he hadn't been there, Romeo would've ended far much worse.
> 
> I have a rough draft for an eventual part 2, so if you're up to it, let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

The first day of Spring break had arrived. Benvolio opened the door of his house, expecting a warm embrace by his little cousin, but was met with silence. He dropped his bag on the ground, eyebrows raised. He had hoped to find the house a little more animated since he had announced his appearance a week ago. Benvolio cleared his throat, shuffling on his feet awkwardly. Maybe they went out running some errands? He was to be honest a bit ahead of time. Shaking his head, he moved towards the living room and plopped down on the couch. After the Spring break party his dorm had thrown the night before and the travel home, he felt his eyes close on their own accord. He could really use a nap right now. A few minutes later, the creaking of the staircase made him jump awake, startled. His step-dad was looking at him from the last step, mouth stretched thin. Benvolio smiled, raising up to go hug his dad. The man's words stopped him in his tracks.

"You decide to finally show up?" 

Benvolio frowned. 

"What do you mean? I've told you I was coming home a week ago!"

His father shrugged, eyes cold and piercing. 

"Oh, I don't know, maybe you'd rather stay with the Capulet you've been attached to the hip with recently." 

Benvolio was taken aback, mouth open.

"What? How.." This couldn't be happening. Not now.

Mr. Montague almost rolled his eyes. He shook his head instead, huffing.

"Son, I own a part of this school. I know what's happening there. " He shook his head again. "How could you, how dare you fraternizing with the enemy?!"

Enemy. That fucking word again. Benvolio clenched his fists. 

"Dad, what are you even talking about? I can hang out with whoever I want! Tybalt is just someone who I talk to sometimes."

And really, it was. Apart from their park meetings, they never saw each other. His father however didn't buy it. He inhaled sharply, cheeks getting redder by the seconds.

"He wants you to spill our family secrets!"

Now it was Benvolio who rolled his eyes. 

"He doesn't even want to talk about his family! And what secrets are you even talking about?"

The man pinched the bridge of his nose, an attempt to remain calm but failing at doing so. His voice was so loud Benvolio thought the whole neighborhood could hear him.

"Dammit Benvolio! He's trying to lure you in a false sense of security, it's what they do! They pretend to be your friend and then they stab you in the back!"

Benvolio was close to burst out in hysteric laughter. His father sounded just like a faded track recorder, repeating words he himself had heard since he could understand their meaning. Or even before that.

"He's not like that! You don't know him! What his family has done to you has nothing to do with him!" 

Benvolio didn't want to shout, but his throat felt raw and was starting to burn. All that for defending a Capulet. The irony. His father lifted a menacing finger towards him.

"Mark my words son. Your little friend of yours? He's gonna try to get under your skin, until you tell him everything he wants to know, and then he'll run back to the Capulets."

They stood in silence for a minute, words hanging in the air, echoing in Benvolio's ears. His father blinked first, seemingly satisfied. Benvolio snarled.

"You're delusional, I can't believe I came back here."

He picked his bag and went straight for his room, careful not to touch his step-dad on the stairs. His bag was then dumped unceremoniously on his bed. Benvolio contemplated going back to campus, and had his phone already out to check out flights when Romeo barged in. His cousin just stared at him, face dark and eyes flaming. Benvolio sighed.

"You heard?"

Romeo nodded.

Benvolio was on a plane the next morning.

*

"I'm going insane Merc."

Benvolio was sprawled on his bed, his laptop balancing dangerously on his thighs as he gazed at the ceiling of his dorm. His best friend took his time digging around in his salad, selecting the piece he wanted before shoving it into his mouth. He didn't bother swallowing before responding. 

"You know, I think you're over thinking this whole thing." 

Benvolio threw his hands up in the air, eyes focused on the shadows his fingers were making on the walls.

"But what if he was right? What if it was just a scheme? What if"

Mercutio snorted. He set his salad aside, growing serious.

"Come on, do you really think Tybalt would do that?"

Benvolio let his arms fall on his bed, frustrated.

"That's exactly the problem, I don't know! I don't know him! He seems to be honest with me, but..."

Mercutio tilted his head. 

"You know each other for months now, you meet every two days at the park, you're practically married at this point. Jokes aside, I think that if he wanted to hurt you or lie to you, he would've done it long ago. Capulets don't think this far in advance."

Benvolio had to chuckle at the last sentence. He dug his head deeper in his pillow.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Mercutio smiled.

"Aren't I always? I seem to remember being right about several things, particularly about the-night-that-never-happened, where... "

The pillow hit the screen a second too late, as Mercutio, sensing the danger, had already cut off their conversation. 

*

Tybalt was already on the bench, sketching in his notebook when Benvolio arrived with two large cups of iced coffee. The summer was truly starting as the sun bore down on the few people brave enough to face the heat. Their favorite bench was drowned in the shadows, luckily, so Benvolio took off his cap after giving Tybalt his drink. Loose strands of hair fell down in his eyes. He hated wearing hats in general, but he couldn't put a toe outside in the sun without one and before having applied copious amounts of sunscreen. Tybalt greeted him with a grin, taking a sip of the cold brew before messing Benvolio's hair a bit more.

"What'cha drawing?"

Benvolio glanced curiously at Tybalt's sketchbook. Since their first meeting, Benvolio had been dying to look at what Tybalt drew in his book, but the blond never wanted to share his art. This time however, Tybalt hesitated.

"It's nothing interesting, really." 

He closed the sketchbook, keeping a finger between the pages he was drawing on. Tybalt had cut his hair short at the beginning of the season, leaving his face more open and welcoming. It made it more easy for Benvolio to read his friend's expression, and at this moment Benvolio realized he was anxious. 

"I still want to see, please? I promise I won't judge. I can't draw a stick figure for my life so." 

Tybalt sighed, but opened the book again. Dozens of duck sketches littered the two pages, all in various states of finishing. Benvolio smiled. 

"You sure do love ducks huh?"

He picked up the sketchbook from Tybalt's knees.

"Can I?"

Tybalt shrugged. Benvolio started to flip through the pages, recognizing the drawings representing the park, mostly the lake, the ducks splashing around, their bench, empty. As he reached the page before the two Tybalt had been working on today, he heard Tybalt inhaling sharply. The drawing showed their bench, but this time, two people were sitting on it. They had smiles on their faces, clearly enjoying their time together. Benvolio felt his heart flutter in his ribcage. The sketch was still rough, but Benvolio knew who these people were.

"It's beautiful. All of it." 

He meant it. Tybalt was undeniably talented. Benvolio gave the sketchbook back to Tybalt, who was slightly red, and not because of the sun. Tybalt cleared his throat.

"We're good right?"

Benvolio smiled.

"More than good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they're friends, yeaaaaaah
> 
> I don't plan to write more of this, so I'll let you know that Benny's luck of not having a roommate will come to an end, but hey, 3 guesses as who his new roommate might be next year?  
> Also, Merc returns, so big reunion and formal introduction to Tybbs!  
> You're free to imagine what happened in the-night-that-never-happened.  
> Also, the unresolved problem with his family is deliberate. Sometimes only time can change minds.


End file.
